I am absolutely confident that the Alternative Budget presents a much stronger plan for Britain's economic future than what has been presented by the Government: either a budget that will wreck British business, or no budget at all. The Alternative Budget builds upon the responsible economic stewardship of the previous Conservative-led Government, while charting a bold new path towards greater growth and innovation. Our budget cuts taxes on small businesses so they can grow and take in more employees, invests in infrastructure and promotes homeownership, and ensures the British people can keep more of their hard-earned pay packet. In contrast with the economic instability and broken promises we've seen as a result of the Government's budget, it truly is quite clear that the Alternative Budget is a far superior roadmap for economic success in Britain.

William Croft
Member of Parliament for Bracknell
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chief Whip of the Conservative party

The Conservative proposed budget is heartless, and the Labour proposed budget is brainless. The Government and Opposition alike should try and take notes from our more successful friends in Germany and America about the steps going forward after recovery. Deficit reduction is still required, but harsh public spending cuts, as proposed by the Tories, are not the way forward. Lacking attention to detail is also a major error, and it is right that so much was made out of Labour failings on the latest budget. We need a middle-way budget.

The Conservative Party alternative budget delivers in precisely the kind of ways that the Government's shambles of a budget could not. This year Britain would be borrowing £12bn less than last year under the Conservatives, this year Britain would be borrowing £16bn less than last year once you factor out infrastructure investment under the Conservatives, in short Britain would be better under the Conservatives. Lower borrowing means less debt which means we can get our country back on its economic feet again. When we're actually paying down our debts we shall be reducing the wasted money we pay in debt interest, allowing us to invest in our public services without having to borrow more and tax more as we are under this Government. The message is simple, when it comes to the deficit you can only trust the Conservative Party.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

This Alternative Budget upholds many of our manifesto commitments, unlike the actual budget and the Labour manifesto, but I am proudest of all on this issue in the area of tax. In the last election the Conservative Party made a vow to lock down the three main taxes faced by ordinary people and refuse to increase them, these taxes being Income Tax, National Insurance, and VAT. Our budget not only doesn't race income tax but it raises to personal allowance giving the whole country an income tax cut, it keeps National Insurance and VAT completely frozen. The Conservative Party would build a low tax, high efficiency public sector where the Government are hell bent on building a high tax, low efficiency public sector.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

One of the most lambasted areas of the Government's shambolic budget was their pension reform plan, infamously they abolished the triple lock and cut every pensioner benefit off from inflation but what may have gotten lost in the shuffle a little was their bold plan to halve the pension tax allowance making it more expensive to save for old age, an unprecedented attack on our nation's future. The Conservative Party recognise that the people need to save for old age to help supplement our national pension system into the future and so our alternative budget does away with this cruel attack on people's pensions savings, on top of that we reversed Labour's abolition of the triple lock and we kept the inflation link between pension benefits. The message is simple, if you want a healthy and happy retirement then you can't trust Labour or the Lib Dems, you have got to vote Conservative at the next election.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

The Government gave us a Budget of chaos, U-turns, investment killing tax increases and profligate spending, growing the influence of the state and passing the debt burden to future generations. The hard-left of Labour running amok, with the Lib Dems asleep at the wheel. By contrast, our Conservative Alternative Budget is a budget of sober thought, rational action and a long-term economic plan. Our alternative plan shows how responsible government should be shepherding the public finances to reduce the deficit, cut taxes and deliver stronger public services.

In our increasingly global and ever-smaller world, internet access is simply vital in modern society. Rural areas often suffer from poor internet connections, and risk being cut off from the advances our globalised future provides. The Conservatives would invest £750m in a Universal Broadband Guarantee fund, to ensure that no-one is left behind by the technological revolution just because they happen to live in the countryside.

Public transport is vital for travel around our country, but investment is all too often focused in the South East. Our Alternative Budget invests in rail improvements in the North and Midlands, by focusing on the Trans-Pennine electrification and the “Electric Spine” project. This means faster, longer, more frequent and more reliable trains for passengers in the North and the Midlands.

Labour tells a lot of stories about our time in government, but the fact of the matter is that health spending rose in real terms right across our time in office. Our Alternative Budget continues that investment. We would make a £3bn investment in the NHS this year, putting us ahead of schedule to meet our target to invest £10bn in the NHS by 2017. Primary Care is the bedrock of the NHS, being the entry point into the health service for the vast, vast majority of patients in need of treatment. The Government's budget ignored Primary Care, but the Conservatives will not. We would invest in improving GP services, expanding clinics and updating equipment. Hospitals will also receive a real terms boost to their funding, with more beds, improved equipment and an expended mental health budget. Unlike Labour, who would leave the health service with 2,000 too few nurses, the Conservatives would make sure that new hospitals have the staffing they need to operate. Conservative stewardship of the economy means that we are able to invest in public services in this way without risking the country's financial future.

During the budget debate the Conservatives criticised many aspects, and with the mistakes made some where fair to make, but my advice to the Conservatives is if you're going to criticise you need to back your words up with actual action. The Conservatives attacked the Government on not meeting the triple lock for soldier's pay, yet have not offered it themselves, the Conservatives attacked us for not supporting British motorists, yet increase fuel duty themselves, they attacked us on the NHS, yet hiked the prescription charge themselves. What is clear is that Conservatives may be able to talk a good game, but when it comes to delivery they have failed miserably. In their proposed budget they will continue to place the burden of responsibility on hard-working families by taxing them more at the pump and when they get their medication, and by short-changing our service men and women.

Meredith Hansen-Charles
Cambridge
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities

In their proposed budget the Conservative don't hire a single new police office, fire fighter or prison officer. For the party who has always claimed to be the party of law and order they have utterly failed. Once again, it is another example of the Conservatives talking a big game but failing to deliver when the push comes to shove. The Government's budget has taken steps to ensure that we have the workforce in place to keep us all safe, the Conservatives have utterly failed.

Meredith Hansen-Charles
Cambridge
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities

While the Conservatives may be cutting spending they are doing it on the backs of the poorest in our society, by hiking up prescription charges they are taxing our health and well-being and by raising the fuel duty they are abandoning the commitments from the previous coalition to keep fuel costs low as possible. This proposed budget is bad for the British people, it is bad for our economy and it will harm the health of the British people.

Meredith Hansen-Charles
Cambridge
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities

Hiking the prescription charge is such a callous move and only proves to shows that when the Conservatives don't have to work with a moderating force like the Liberal Democrats they will happily raise costs for the ill and infirm. Millions of people get prescriptions every week in our country, and the Conservatives have essentially said 'if you want to get better you will need to pay more' - what an awful approach to take to the health of the British people. It is shameful.

Meredith Hansen-Charles
Cambridge
Secretary of State for Education
Minister for Women and Equalities

25 new clinics, fully staffed. 3000 new hospital beds, fully staffed. £3bn invested into our NHS in year one, real terms freezing of the prescription charge, and a 5% real terms hike in NHS spending. This is the Conservative Party's policy on the NHS. Where the Liberal Democrats helped present a budget to the people that didn't include enough doctors to staff the new wards they were creating the Conservative Party have presented a budget that grows the NHS in a long term and sustainable way. It is clear that Labour and the Liberal Democrats haven't a clue on how to look after our nation's NHS, it is equally clear from this budget that only the Conservative Party can be trusted to look after our nation's health.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

The Conservative Party have frozen all taxes on drivers in real terms where the Government waged a war on drivers with an inflation busting increase in Vehicle Excise Duty for the nation's motorists. The message is clear, under the Conservatives Britain's roads will continue to be a place that everyone can enjoy, under the Government you may only drive on Her Majesty's Highways if you can pay.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

The Conservative Party Alternative Budget included a great many measures I am especially proud of but one area I am glad we departed from the Government's "wisdom" on is the issue of justice. I'm sure nobody will hold it against me if I refuse to take lessons on the public's safety from a woman who signed off on a budget that reduced the number of prison spaces in the UK at a time when prison populations are increasing. This Government will only take the public's safety seriously if they can make a cheap headline from it, the Conservative Party are investing in the infrastructure required to keep the public truly safe.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)

The Government's budget represented a litany of broken promises and a slew of people being stabbed in the back. Pensioners and the Armed Forces were short changed, motorists were taxed into oblivion, our NHS and prison systems were left under staffed and incapable of doing their most basic functions. The Conservative Alternative Budget leaves us with a fully funded NHS and prison system, upholds every promise we made to pensioners and the armed forces, and freezes taxes on motorists in real terms. Where the Government will break any promise for power it is the Conservative Party that are standing up for the policies that we were elected to deliver from our manifesto.

Conservative MP for North East Bedfordshire
Leader of the Opposition (2014-16)